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Choosing A Care Home*



I am extremely lucky that at my age I have a full set of Grandparents on my maternal side in good health and  independent. However, some of us at some point will have to think about the option putting our loved ones into a care home. 

Of course there is a lot to consider when choosing a care home for elderly relatives with their involvement. You want to make sure they will be happy, safe and well looked after. Ultimately, whether you decide to go for an in-home care package similar to those offered by providers such as care for family. If a retirement community would be a better fit for your loved ones, doing plenty of research is strongly recommended. You will want to ensure that they have their independence whilst having the peace of mind amenities are provided with safety considered so that they can keep living without putting themselves at risk of harm. It is important to choose a high quality provider such as Chelsea Senior Living to ensure that their living space is clean and conducive with their lifestyle, minimising the time spent doing busywork and increasing the time they can spend enjoying life and socialising with others.

Get a Needs assessment from Social Services, the assessment
is free and will highlight what type of care and support they will
need, the Social Worker will explain the options available to help care for family. They will also see if you qualify for any financial support which would include completing a means tested asssessment.

Make a short list of homes, The Elderly Accommodation Counsel provides a
directory of over 40,000 retirement housing and care homes in the UK
.Also ask friends and family for any recommendations

Check the quality of care, The Care Quality Commision is an established independent regulator for care homes in England. They undertake regular inspections of all care homes to make sure they meet
government standards and can help find any areas for concern. In Wales the independent regulator is Care and Social Services Inspectorat and Scotland Care Inspectorate

Visit the home, it is vital to visit a prospective home on several occasions
before deciding try and go at different times of the day and or week, just like when you are looking to buy property. 

Things you should look for include, do you feel
welcomed? Staff interaction with the residents and each other, Do you see staff spending time with the
residents or is the television on?  Are the seating all the same size? Is there quiet spaces when residents can sit away from the communal lounge? as people have different needs. Do the residents look comfortable? Is there an event programme and Activities Organiser? Can you see residents taking part in daily life activities. What does the décor look?, look at the cleanliness of the home and the rooms, and most importantly WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE THERE?

Choosing a care home is a very hard decision and one that you have to get right.
There is lots of specialist knowledge from care homes themselves. For more information Barchester has great advice when it comes to
nursing care

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